“The goal is to take what has been a difficult and painful experience, and focus that attention on the really critical issue of child protection and child sexual abuse”, Kaplan said.

In a statement released on Thursday morning, TLC confirmed that the Duggar family’s reality show “will no longer appear on the air” after 10 seasons.

“Today, TLC announced that they will not be filming new episodes of 19 Kids and Counting”.

“With God’s grace and help Josh, our daughters and our entire family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way forward”.

“After thoughtful consideration, TLC and the Duggar family have decided to not move forward with 19 Kids and Counting“. It was pulled from the network in May when reports surfaced that 27-year-old Josh Duggar, the oldest child, had fondled four of his sisters and a baby sitter a dozen years earlier, when he was a teenager.

While Mama June has always been enthusiastic about the idea of no more Duggars on TLC, the stars of 19 Kids And Counting aren’t quite as happy about the network’s decision.

The multi-platform initiative will begin with a one-hour, commercial-free documentary likely airing in late August, the network said. “What I can say is – from our family to the Duggars’ – that our heart goes out to them”, he said. We appreciate the love, support, prayers and kindness extended to us by many of you.

On their official Facebook page, the Duggar family thanked God for guiding them through the crisis and expressed hope that the new documentary will become “an encouragement to many”.

TLC said it would team up with two victim-advocacy organizations for a public service and education program about child sexual abuse, including a one-hour documentary with the Duggar family that will include two of the sisters who were molested, Jill, 24, and Jess, 22. Guess they were hoping that creepy Josh Duggar would fade from view and that the Duggar franchise (maybe conveniently renamed “18 Kids and Counting”?) could continue on its merry, God-fearing way of covering up sexual abuse in the pursuit of reality-TV fame and self-righteous, self-aggrandizing magazine covers.

Son Josh was a lobbyist against abortion rights and gay marriage for the Family Research Council when news emerged about the molestation. “They have become like family to us”, the Duggars said. “If you’re going to have a reality show that’s going to be about your family and that’s going to be about things that’s going on in your life, then there’s good, bad and ugly that goes on in everyone’s life”.